Is this relevant to me?
All students at university can access support for their mental health and wellbeing. There's a huge range available and you can have a look at our "What support is available" page for more information. A lot of the support does not require you to tell anyone about your mental health, but some support is more specialised and does need you to share this information to access it, and sometimes provide evidence of your condition.
If your mental health, when at its worst, can have an impact on your ability to study, then the University has a legal duty to support you and provide you with adjustments. This might include, for example, rest breaks in exams, or extensions to deadlines. You should also be able to get some support if your health effects you living and socialising independently, although this may come from outside of the University. Many Universities can help you with living arrangements, within their own accommodation; for example, if you have OCD you might need your own ensuite bathroom and kitchen facilities.
If you had exam adjustments or other support at school they will not automatically be replicated even if you have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP). So it is important to make sure that you speak to the University support service as early as possible to ensure that any adjustments can be put in place.
The number of students who declare they have a mental health condition is steadily rising year on year (see for example the Higher Education Statistics Agency, under "Disability"). However some choose not to disclose, as they may have recovered, may feel their difficulties aren't "that bad", they may not identify with the "disability" label, they may be concerned about stigma or being treated unfavourably, or may not be aware of the support available so see little benefit.
We hope that some of the information on this website will inform your decision about disclosing.
